Thirds to arthur throop and henry ii



(No Model.) J. MER'RYWEATHER'.

- GOUPLINGTOR ELEGTRIC'GIROUITS IN RAILWAY TRAINS. No. 593,965. Patented Nov. 16,1897.

mm James Jlergy weal/Z her;

BY a; I, I 477037. I

m: uoams vzrzns co. mow-min" msumoron u c INITED STATES PATENT Prion,

JAMES MERRYWEATHER, OF GREENOASTLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- TIIIRDS TO ARTHUR THROOP AND HENRY II. HILLIS, OF SAME PLACE.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS IN RAILWAY-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,965, dated November 16, 1897.

Application filed ober '7, 1897.

Serial No. 664,450. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I,JAMES MERRYWEATHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greencastle, in the county of Putnam and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Electric Circuits in Railway-Trains, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide an inexpensive, durable, and efficient means'of coupling or connecting electric circuits, especially the signaling-circuits, in railway-trains at the same time the cars themselves are coupled, and which shall provide for all the variations incident to train movementsuch as the swaying of the cars, &c.

and also which shall become automatically cars of any character or design. The circuits will be understood to be closed circuits, normally, in the use of which the alarm or signal is occasioned by opening or breaking the circuit. I have shown these coupling devices near the sides of the cars in the drawings in order that they should be shown as perfectly clear and distinct from the couplings and other construction. In practice, however, these electric coupling devices would be nearer the center of the carsgenerally quite near to and, perhaps, in some cases partially or wholly underneath the draw-heads. Manifestly, however, such arrangement and location do not affect my invention, and such devices can be located at any convenient points.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a portion of a railway-train provided with my improved electric-signal-circuit-coupling devices, one car being shown in full, with fragments off the ends of two adjacent cars; Fig. '2, a side elevation of the same, the middle portion of the cars being broken away to save room; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the principal member of one of my improved coupling devices on a considerably-enlarged scale; and Fig. 4, a central sectional View thereof, showing also the other member near thereto and illustrating by means of dotted lines the positions which the parts assume in use and out of use.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the body of the car, B the Wires of the electric signaling-circuit, and Gand D the two members of my improved coupler.

The cars, as heretofore indicated, may be of any usual or desired construction, and the wires are the usual wires of an electric signalingcircuit. Interposed, at any point in such circuit in the cars or in the locomotive are such ordinary batteries, push-buttons or keys, and signal-bells or annunciators as the system selected and the needs of the particular service. may require. None of these matters are peculiar to my present invention, and therefore will not be further described herein, except incidentally in describing the invention. Each car is provided upon each end with one member of my improved coupler, corresponding members always being located diagonally opposite to each other, so that any two cars similarly equipped and coming together will cause the coupling to take place. Each car thus, as will be observed, bears four of these coupling parts.

The wires B connect the coupling devices at the opposite ends of the cars upon which they are placed, each wire being connected at one end to a member 0 and at the other end to a member D, as shown.

The coupling parts G are box-like in form, and each has a pair of hinged or pivoted doors 0 and 0 which, as best shown in Fig. 4, are normally held outwardly and toward each other by springs s, which are preferablywire springs coiled around the hinge-pivots of the doors, with one end of each of such springs bearing against the inner side of the corresponding door and the other end against the interior of the box-like structure. As will be readily seen, both these doors yield readily when pushed against by a coupling part D, and the-yieldingmay .be Variable, so that said coupling part D may be central, as shown in the drawings, or above or below the center as the cars sway under the movement of the train.

and the parts D will be continuously of uniform character.

The coupling parts D are plain stiff arms, and they are arranged to extend out, so as to pass into the box-like coupling part 0 between and in contact with the doors thereof.

Having thus fully described my said inven- The edges of said doors are curved or rounded, so that the contact between them 2. A coupling device for electric signaling circuits on railway-trains, composed of the two halves C and D, each coupling-half 0 being box-like in general form with swinging doors for the contact-surfaces, and the coupling-halves D each consisting of a plunger or arm adapted to pass into the box-like coupling-half C and in contact with the (loors thereof.

3. A coupler for electric signaling-circuits on railway-trains, consisting of a couplinghalf 0 provided with two swinging, doors 0' 0 having curved or rounded edges and provided with springs s for holding said doors toward their closed position, and a couplinghalf D having an arm or plunger adapted to pass between and into contact with the doors of the, first-described coupling-half, all sub stantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 4th dayof October, A. D. 1897.

JAS. MERRYWEATIIER.

Vitnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALsH. 

